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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. can — a tin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. spring — of water
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. content — happy
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cap — a lid
  16. content — the amount
  17. rock — music
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spring — the season
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com